Brazil’s first lady swears at Elon Musk during G20 event 

• Brazil’s first lady swears at Elon Musk during G20 event 
• Relations between Musk and Brazil’s government have been tense
• G20 summit begins on Monday, drawing global leaders to discuss pressing international issues

Brazil’s first lady swears at Elon Musk during G20 event  

Brazil’s First Lady, Janja Lula da Silva, made headlines after swearing at billionaire Elon Musk during a panel on disinformation at an event preceding the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro. While discussing stricter social media regulations, she jokingly linked a loud noise to Musk, saying, “I think it’s Elon Musk,” and followed it with an expletive, declaring, “I’m not afraid of you.”  

Musk, owner of Tesla and the social media platform X, reposted a video of the incident with the caption “lol” and added laughing emojis, suggesting, “They are going to lose the next election.” This appeared to be a jab at Brazil’s left-wing President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and his Workers’ Party.

Relations between Musk and Brazil’s government have been tense. Earlier this year, Brazil’s Supreme Court briefly banned X for failing to comply with disinformation laws, lifting the ban after the company paid a $5.1 million fine. Musk has also been a known ally of Brazil’s former far-right President Jair Bolsonaro, who reposted Musk’s response, calling the incident a “diplomatic problem.”

Bolsonaro, banned from running for office until 2030 due to election-related charges, has signalled his intent to campaign in 2026. Meanwhile, the G20 summit officially begins on Monday, drawing global leaders to discuss pressing international issues.